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Ellen DeLoach

I have lived all my life in Georgia and during my years here I have seen the South embrace a multitude of transformations, one of which has taken place within me. At the tender age of 19 I joined the workforce and steadily climbed the corporate ladder, I worked hard and attended the school of hard knocks and I excelled. From this experience I took many positive lifelong lessons that have been integral to not only my success in business, but my personal life as well.

As a young girl I had an engulfing desire to be creative; whether drawing images in the clouds, daydreaming in a classroom or getting my hands into something I could attack, destroy and then make beautiful. Over the years I took art classes here and there when I could, but being a single mom and needing a steady income I could not seriously pursue my artistic career until 5 years ago. In 2011 I started working under the tutelage of Michael David; this experience has been life changing for me. Michael not only opened my mind to a higher level of understanding and creativity, but he believed in me and challenged me to do the same.

It is my belief that if your work ethics are solid and you truly love what you are doing; the integrity of your work will show through. My paintings do not become “real” until I feel a personal connection to them. I choose materials such as the wedding gown I wore when I was a bride at 17; dirt from specific places as far away as Minnesota; hot wax, oils, charcoal and even tar at times. I work with materials that demonstrate my vital spark. I respect the act of painting as well as the fight to find resolution in each story.

Cord of Three – Oil and Wax on Canvas 72″x48″

My work represents a direct metaphor of my life, and how faith has helped me triumph over great adversity. Whether painting Figures or Landscapes, the themes of loss, anguish and redemption are a common thread in the soul of my work. We have all gone through personal challenges, but it is how you cope and heal that is a true testament to your character. One of the greatest gifts I’ve received is the lesson on how to forgive. To forgive does not necessarily mean that you have to forget, to forgive means to move gracefully past the hurt, pain, and destruction. To truly forgive one must fill the voids with positive energy which is cultivated from experiences; it is the illustration of this strength in my work that can impart on others the wisdom to not be forever stagnant in their pain.

The women in my work are not victims but survivors; warriors that have fought hard for a brighter way and a better quality of life. My landscapes are also based on the same principles; after illness, loss, or violence there should be a time for healing, cleansing, and grace, as well as acceptance of the things that one cannot change – with that acceptance comes the power of growth.

On October 11, 2013, after three years of excruciatingly hard work I was humbled to have my first SOLO show at Bill Lowe Gallery. To be presented in such a sophisticated environment, alongside great artists through the gallery was truly a rewarding experience. My involvement with Bill Lowe and his staff has been remarkable, and I am appreciative to be a part of a gallery with this caliber. Moreover I am touched that the gallery believes in my work and continually supports my success as an artist.

Bill Lowe Gallery is proud to showcase a stellar array of new works by artists from the Fine Arts Atelier. Included in the exhibition are artists Barbara Brenner, Karen Schwartz, Ellen DeLoach, Brenda Rehrig, Jeffrey Paclipan, Susan Moreno, Richard Diedrich, Kelin Perry and Susan Grill Joss, among others. The show opens on Friday, February 21st, from 6 until 9 PM.

Fine Arts Atelier, more commonly known as FAWS, provides classes, individual instruction, studio space, and a range of artist services designed to inspire and support artists in developing and strengthening their work. The original concept for this program was based on the Black Mountain School in North Carolina, where artists were taught by artists and worked in groups to gain, grow and hone their individual voice. Michael David launched this program and has been amazed at the pace at which it has grown, not only as a learning and teaching community, but as a family as well. According to Michael David, “it’s corny, but the Atelier is like family; sometimes we argue and sometimes we make mistakes, I am closer to some of the members than others.”

Michael David spends a great deal of time with every artist and is determined to bring out the best in each one of them. Ellen DeLoach has been a FAWS member since 2011 and she describes her immersion within a group of artists who are learning and passionate about art as “eye-opening.” DeLoach never had a formal education in art but, according to her, she feels like she is working on a Masters in Fine Art when being mentored by Michael David.

Another highly acclaimed artist, Barbara Brenner, recalls being “so excited that my hands started to shake” when she first learned of an encaustic workshop David hosted in Atlanta back in 2010. Flash forward to 2014 and her soulfully luminous encaustic panels are stopping gallery-goers in their tracks with an honesty and rawness that completely belie Brenner’s long tenure in corporate advertising at The Coca-Cola Company. The overwhelming success of her exhibition last season at Lowe Gallery has prompted Bill Lowe to schedule a second one-person show for the Fall of 2014.

According to Bill Lowe, “the FAWS show promises to be an astounding one, the accumulation of all these powerful artists in one space will without a doubt entrance the gallery’s patrons.” So bring friends, mingle with the artists, enjoy some good food and wine, and more than an anything take in the extraordinary artwork! The event is free to attend, and is a great way for the community to become involved in the thriving Atlanta art scene.

Bill Lowe Gallery has been recognized for a quarter-century as the South’s pre-eminent contemporary gallery. It is widely acclaimed for the depth and scope of its program, curatorial excellence, and concentration on content-driven work by artists with an advanced technical mastery of their media. The philosophical architecture of Bill Lowe Gallery is built upon a reverence for the alchemical nature of artistic expression. The gallery honors the profoundly spiritual nature of visual language and the role it can play in affecting paradigm shifts at both a personal and societal level.